Fruit-drier



. 3 SheetsSh-eet 1'. W. H. WILEY.

FRUIT DRIER.

(No Model.)

' iff lil 3 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

W. H. WILEY.

FRUIT DRIER.

PatentedJune 13, 1882;

N. PErERs. Photul lhogrnphzr. Wnhingxm D. C,

3 Sheets- Sheet 3. W. H. WILEY.

FRUIT DRIER.

(No Model.)'

Patented June13, 1882.

.Ma &

tINrTnD STATES PATENT rnrcn.

WILLIAM H. WILEY, OF HENDERSON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. ALLEN MOORE,OF GREENSBOROUGH, MARYLAND.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,621, dated .June13, 1882,

Application filed March 20, 1882.

T all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WILEY, ofHenderson, in the county of Caroline, and in the State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Driers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my improved apparatus, the casing being partly opened and brokenaway to show the operative mechanism. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection of the same upon a line parallel with the plane of motion of thecrate-moving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the endplates of a swinging crate, and shows the a means employed forconnecting the same to or with its pivotal shaft. Fig. 4 is alike viewof said apparatus in a line having a right angle to the section-line ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, enlarged, of one of the pivotalbearings for the crate-moving chain, the parts being separated; and Fig.6 is a like view of the same with said parts combined for use.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The design of my invention is to enable fruit to be easily and quicklydeprived of moisture and rendered fit for storage or transportation; andto this end it consists, principally, in the means employed for movingthe fruit-crates through the drying-chamber, substantially as and forthe purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, in the means employed for insuring the relativepositions of the fruitcrates, substantially as and for the purposehereinafter shown.

It consists, further, in the means employed for lessening the frictionof the operative mechanism, substantially as and for the purposehereinafter set forth.

It consists, further, in the means employed for perfecting such fruit asmay be imperfectly dried, substantially as and for the purposehereinafter shown and described.

It consists, further, in the construction of the crates employed for thereception of fruit- (No model.)

trays, substantially as and for the purpose 5o hereinafter shown.

It consists, finally, in the fruit-drier constructed and adapted tooperate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as and for thepurpose hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A and A represent the side walls of a casingwhich is substantially square in horizontal section, and has preferablya height equal to about twice its width. The upper end of said casing isinclosed by two outward and downward inclining covers, B, that arepreferably hinged, between which is a raised portion, 13, that hasattached thereto or is connected with a flue, 0.

Within the upper portion of the casing de- 6 scribed is journaledhorizontally a shaft, D, upon which, near the side walls, A, are securedtwo plates, E, that have each preferably the form in side elevationshown, and at each of its radial projections is provided with a semi- 7ocircular recess, e, the said recesses in each plate corresponding inrelative position to the recesses of the opposite plate.

Supported upon and passing around the upperportionsofthe recessedplatesE is a carrier composed of a number of shafts, F, which areconnected together at or near the ends by means of links G, that haveeach end pivoted to or upon one of said shafts. The length of each ofsaid shafts is such as to permit it to extend between said plates withits ends resting within the recesses 6, while the lengthsofsaid linkscorrespond to the distance in a direct line between two of saidrecesses,whereby when said plates are caused to revolve said shafts willsuccessively engage with the latter, as shown. There being but one setof plates, E--which plates, with their shaft D, operate assprocketwheelsit is necessary that that portion of the carrier belowsaid wheels should be held in position and prevented from lateraldisplacement, which result is secured by attaching to the inner face ofeach side A of the casing plates H, within each of which is formed agroove, h, that extends from near the upper line of said wheelsvertically down at one side to a point near the lower end of saidcasing, thence in a downward curve to the opposite side, and thenceupward again to a point corresponding to the upper end at the oppositeside of said groove. The grooves h are located so as to receive theprojecting ends of the shafts F and confine the same in position, and attheir curved lower ends have a considerablyincreased width, in order toprevent obstruction tothe carrier if from wear or from other causes saidcarrier should lengthen.

In order that friction and wear of the carrier may be prevented, theends of the shafts F are each provided with a journal,f, upon which isjournaled a roller, I, that is preferably secured in place by means of ascrew,f, which passes through a washer,f into the end of said journal.Each roller I has such diameter ofits body as to enable it to fit intoany of the recesses e of the plate E, and such length as to cause it toproject beyond said plate and into the groove h, by which arrangementsaid roller furnishes a rolling bearing for its shaft F within saidgroove, and also within the recesses of said wheel. The portion of saidroller I outside of said wheel E is preferably enlarged so asto form ashoulder, i, which engages with the outer face of the latter and insuresthelateral position ofsaid carrier while passing over said wheel.

Suspended from each shaft F is a crate, which, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,is composed of two horizontally-grooved end plates,K, that are connectedtogether by means of rods or bars k, which extend between their upperand lower ends. Said crates have such length as to enable them to swingfreely between the links G, and, being journaled near their upper endsupon said shafts, maintain their position at all points. The grooves kof the plates K have such dimensions as to enable each to receive oneend of a fruit-tray, and as many trays may be placed in each crate asthere are grooves in the same. Each plate K is provided near its upperend with a slot, k which extends from one edge laterally inward to thetransverse center, and thence upward forashort distance, and permitssaid plate to be hooked on and suspended from a shaft, F, as seen inFig. 2, after which the insertion of a vertical pin, it, beside saidshaft and upon the side toward the open end of said slot securely lockssaid parts in position.

When in use each crate is filled with trays of fruit, and the carrier ismoved so as to carry said crate upward and to bring the next lower crateinto position for filling, and if the velocity and temperature of theair passing upward through the casing is properly regulated, by the timethe crate has made the entire circuit after having been filled its fruitwill have become cured and may be removed and replaced by fresh fruit.

Access to the interior of the casing for the purpose of filling oremptying the crates is had through a door, A which is provided withinone of the walls, A, as seen in Fig. 1, while an inspection of theinterior of said casin g with its contents may be made by raising thehinged cover B.

Should it be found, as is sometimes the case, that the fruit upon a trayis not thoroughly cured after the same has made a circuit of the casing,said tray is placed within a compartment, L, which is provided at thecenter of said casing, and to which access is had through a door, A thatis provided in the wall A. The said chamber has sufficient width only toenable it to receive a tray, and within its sides is provided withhorizontal grooves a for the reception of the edges of said trays.

The upper and lower ends of the chamberL are open, and within said lowerend are hinged or pivoted two dampers or valves, M, which are arrangedto swing inward and upward, as shown, so as to enable said opening to bepartially or entirely closed to regulate the temperature within and theflow of air through said chamber.

Access to the interior of the casing for the purpose of removing orplacing in position the rollers Iis had through openings that areprovided in each wall A and are inclosed by plates N. Through saidopenings the carrier can be repaired without rendering necessary itsremoval from said casing. V The carrier is moved by means ofasprocketwheel, 0, which is secured upon the projecting end of the shaftD, a pinion, P, that is secured upon a shaft which is journalednear thelower end of the casing, and is rotated by means of a hand-wheel, Q, anda chain, R, which passes around and engages with said sprocket-wheel andpinion. By rotating said hand-wheel its motion is transmitted throughthe mechanism described to said carrier, and the latter is caused tomove steadily and with case.

In consequence of the means employed for supporting and guiding thecarrier far less friction results and materially less power is requiredto operate the same than would be possible were a set of sprocket-wheelsemployed at each end of the casing to support and guide the carrier, ashas heretofore been the case, and I am enabled to handle with ease aquantity of fruit that would be impracticable to operate with were theconstruction such as last above described.

My construction also possesses marked advantages over the employment ofa set of sprocket-wheels at each end of a vertical casing, as thelengthening and shortening of the carrier in consequence of changes oftemperature and of wear render impracticable a proper tension aroundsaid wheels, and said carrier would at times be too tight and at othertimes too loose, while in case of my machine provision is made by thesize of the lower portions of the grooves for variations in the lengthof the carrier, and its perfect freedom of motion is in no mannerinterfered with by such changes.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of-my invention, whatI claim as new 1s 1. As an improvement in fruit-driers, the combination,with a vertical casin g, of an endless double chain or carrier supportedwholly by and pendent from two combined carryingwheels which are securedto and revolve with the same shaft within the upper portion of saidcasing; crates for trays of fruit, pivoted to and swinging upon saidcarrier; a groove at or within each side of said casing, adapted toreceive the ends of the pivotal shafts of said crates and to guide andcontrol the position of said carrier below said carrying-wheels; andmeans whereby the latter may be caused to rotate and to move saidcarrier longitudinally, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The means employed for insuring the relative positions of and formoving the fruit-crates through the vertical drying-chamber, consistingof the shafts F, having pivoted thereon said crates, the links G,connecting together said shafts, the wheels E, secured upon the sameshaft D and provided with peripheral recesses e, and the grooves 71-,adapted to receive the ends of said pivotal shafts F and to guide andcontrol the position of the endless carrier in its passage from saidwheels downward through the lower end of said dryingchamber and upwardagain to said wheels, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. In combination with the shafts F, wheels E, and groove h, the rollersI, journaled upon the ends of said shaft and having their outer endsenlarged to form shoulders z', substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. In a fruit-drier having means for moving the fruit through a verticalcasing, a central chamber provided with valves for regulating thetemperature and currents of air, and adapted to receive and containtrays of fruit, substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

5. The crates for containing trays of fruit, consisting of the plates K,provided with the grooves k, slots R and pins h and combined by means ofthe connecting-rods k, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

6. The hereinbefore-described fruit-drier, in which is combined avertical casin g, an endless carrier provided with swinging crates, thatpasses over and is wholly supported by apair of combined carrier-wheelsjournaled by the same shaft within the upper portion of said casing,grooves that receive the edges of and guide said carrier while passingthrough the lower portion of said casing, and mechanism, substantiallyas described, whereby said parts are caused to operate in the manner andfor the purpose substantially as set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this1st day of March, 1882.

WM. H. WILEY.

Witnesses GEO. S. PRINDLE, J AS. E. HUTCHINSON.

